Santiago, Chile

First stop...Santiago, Chile, South America. It can be a bit overwhelming at the start of every new beginning because there is always so much to do & it´s difficult to know where to start so that you use your time most effectively. Not only do we get a new continent to explore but we also travel back in time & gain a day for our troubles. In fairness I think we´re due a day back cause ever since we´ve been away we´ve been losing time so it´s nice to get something back! So we lived the 11th of March twice this year......once in New Zealand & then again in Chile.....slightly dazed from sleep-deprivation! So the final leg of our trip is upon us & it´s very exciting to be finally here.

You´re catapulted into a new language which is cool. So far people mostly assume that you speak Spanish so in the quieter places you are forced to communicate in Spanish which is great. We´ve a long way to go before the words flow out of our mouths with fluency but we can hold our own.....just about.......& wé try to speak to each other in Spanish during the day ......needless to say there are a lot of silences especially as the day progresses & we´re too fed up to look up words etc......

Anyway Santiago. Nice city. Loads of cathedrals that are absolutely beautiful inside. I can´t help but be in awe when looking at what people have accomplished in the past without the machinery & equipment that is available in construction today.

Oh & the men are charmers if ever I´ve met one........if you don´t get at least one whistle, or a man sighing as you walk by you should worry. It´s all good natured "appreciation" for the female form but you can´t help but laugh. It´s so ridiculous......you´d swear they never saw a woman before. And I musn´t forget to tell you about the couples everywhere groping each other in parks, on the street or whenever an opportunity presents itself. Chile is predominantly Catholic & young people generally live at home....I believe..... until they marry. Hence it´s not uncommon to go to the park & feel completely out of the loop cause you´re with another girl & not mauling someone from the opposite sex. No shyness here.

There´s a great Pre-Columbian Museum in the city center too that´s worth a visit. It displays relics from all over South-America so you get a little bit of history on the tribes & their beliefs from all over......it´s very interesting, I think most people would get something from it......we got a free tour guide too which gave us a quick overview.

We only spent 2 nights in Santiago...plenty to see a city on foot & to make a plan of action. From here we moved south to Chillan....the first of the marathon road-trips which are part n´parcel of travel in South America. Thankfully the buses here are top-class....reclining seats & air-con (most of the time.....it didn´t work on our bus & despite the youg fella walking up & down the bus regularly to check the output.....the air-con never kicked in & it was more of a sweat-box than an ice-box for the duration of the trip). Even the film couldn´t distract me....maybe if it had been in English it may have helped. Nonetheless I´m very impressed by the standard of buses. Mr. Greyhound has a lot to live up to at home.

Chillan next stop. Vamos!

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